Even I’m going to struggle to put a positive slant on this one

When I was asked this year if I would like to participate again, I hesitated before replying.

Weighing all the options up.

And decided that because I had done it a year ago, and enjoyed it, I would do it again. After all, its for the good of the community.

There is no payment. But a feeling of helping out for the greater good of others.

So, I put everything that I was currently doing, to one side, to do this.

The fact that it was freezing cold, and there was no heating, I didn’t question.

The fact that I had to keep my padded coat on, ontop of my thick sweater, ontop of a couple of long sleeved tee shirts, because it was so cold, I accepted.

Because, its for the good of the community.

The fact that it took seventeen hours to do, for no income, no hourly rate paid, no financial recompense or any sort, I accepted.

The fact that I earnt nothing that week, because of this, I accepted.

After all, it was for the greater good of the community.

Last week, when in Ashby de la Zouch, knowing that the artboards were up for the festival, I couldn’t see mine.

I know that there are hidden parts of Ashby and sometimes things are not obvious.

So I sent an email to the organiser to give me a clue as to where my artboard was.

The reply was “On South Street, facing the Bath Grounds”

Okay…………………… so off I went yesterday to find it now that I knew it wasn’t on the main street.

Ashby has three streets running parallel to each other, through the town.

The main street is “Market Street” which has two way traffic, has most of the shops, and is the main busy thoroughfare that everyone uses.

North Street is part two way traffic, but half is one way traffic, but lots of people use it as the school is on it, as is the library, and the sports centre.

South Street (the one that is suddenly important to this tale) is part two way traffic but the last two thirds of it is one way traffic which few people use as there is nothing but a few houses down there, little business, and no reason for people to walk it. The last part of it, is a T junction, and has double yellow lines along it and no one looks left or right at the end at the walls, because there is nothing to look at, except the traffic at the junction.

This is where my art board is hanging. Along with someone elses.

I cannot imagine anyone looking at it, since it isn’t “any where”. No where that anyone looks, or walks, or stops, or notices.

This is what Seventeen hours of freezing solid in an unheated warehouse “for the greater good of the community” is for.

If they had told me before I started working on it, where it was going to hang, I wouldn’t have bothered.

Ask me if I’m likely to be doing it again next year.

I think you already know my answer to that. And I’m being very polite…… all the swear words are in my head………..